THE RACE TO THE TOP 10

I am stressed the fuck out. I thought looking for sleepaway camps was an ordeal but college is next level. I can’t talk to one friend without the word college coming up. The only thing I want to discuss when it comes to college is how much I would love to go back. Otherwise, I don’t want to discuss the college tutor, the college boards, the college scores, the college list, or where the hell I am taking my son on a college tour. 

No, I didn’t hire Henry Harvard to help with the essay, Stephen King is not writing a letter of recommendation. I don’t know anyone personally who has donated a wing at his top three reach schools. I don’t have a trust fund sitting around and my family is certainly not legacy at the University of Michigan.

If I was living in Idaho, I have to believe this process would not be as excruciating. However, because I live in the Northeast, most kids are applying to the same 10 schools with roughly the same grades and SAT/ACT scores. What exactly will set them apart? Especially after being quarantined a majority of their junior year. Your guess is as good as mine.

Looking back, I feel like if I had gone to Tulane or Texas, it would not really have mattered. Obviously, if I was studying to be a computer engineer, MIT would have made a difference. But whenever someone asks me where I went to college it is not about anything job-related. It is “Do you know so and so?” “What house were you in?” And, ESPECIALLY, being single, it has become a dating qualifier more than a job qualifier. “Oh, you went to CUSE!”
Phew, I passed the test.

I can’t decide if the kids or the parents are more concerned about the acceptance letter. What happens if, after seventeen years of growing up in a legacy family, your daughter decides she wants to go to Kelly Business School instead of your alma mater?  Can you handle wearing a crimson and cream sweatshirt? And how many people are being honest if they say they can?

In the end, we all want our kids to be happy. As someone mentioned to me yesterday, there is a college for everyone. Personally, I have never been more excited for November 30th when all applications are due and the college world tour can end for a bit.

XX

P.S. Can’t wait for the stress of rush and anxiety of pledging! To be continued…

Share Your Thoughts





  1. Elisa brisman

    I couldn’t agree more and having 2 boys can say ” been there done that”
    We are also from the Northeast NJ AND IF I had to do it all over again I would not have done all the SAT Tutoring. I wasn’t crazed like some families from kindergarten but wanted the best fit for my kids- now I would probably focus on more specific programs as opposed to a more generalized liberal arts degree. I think the job market is much easier when you graduate

    October 5, 2021 • 5:36 pm •
  2. Marcia Sokal

    Although my sons are much older (36 and 34), I remember this like it was yesterday. The only fun part of college touring was seeing the guides walk backwards and collecting school tee shirts at the bookstore! I too stressed about tier one schools…my older son only wanted a Big 10 campus and fell in love with Indiana and went to Kelley. My little one only wanted Penn State but I made him go to IU because I couldn’t imagine having 2 in college at the same time in different schools. He was a direct entry into Kelley. I guess I was selfish but it turned into the best 4 years of their lives. Please don’t stress, the kids that were mediocre students in High School and attended mid level colleges are all now wildly successful adults. I laugh when I see my son stressing over nursery school for my toddler grandson…see it’s at all levels! Wishing you and your son all the best snd enjoy this phase as well .

    October 5, 2021 • 6:03 pm •
  3. Susie Q

    As the mother of a current Kelley freshman, I have to gently lol and say if your child is applying, get used to double checking auto correct on your/their computer to make sure Kelley is spelled correctly come essay time 😉

    October 5, 2021 • 11:00 pm •
  4. Just reading this brings back such stressful memories! However, I can tell you that it DOES all work out. Also from NJ, I was worried about the competition. My son was an average student through HS, and worried that he wouldn’t get in anywhere. He got in to every school he applied to. Seriously, they decide which school based on their ‘gut’ feeling, and that shouldn’t be minimized. At least yours will be able to do on-campus visits, which is crucial. Long story short, my son really found his stride by junior year, and now, is in graduate school going for his MBA. IT. WILL. ALL. BE. FINE. But, I empathize with what you’re going through now. It’s not fun!

    October 6, 2021 • 10:29 pm •
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